Fox news ticker 7/20/09

Iraq's foreign min says his country will soon be released from all previous UN resolutions and sanctions against it.....Iraq has been under 73 un sanctions since 1990..... Foreign Min Hoshyar Zebari arrived in DC monday directly after consultations at the UN and ahead of PM Nuri Al -Malikis's meeting with president Obama at the white house thurs.

I found this at nenos thought I'd bring it over to add to the other report

From CNN wire:

July 20th, 2009
Iraqi foreign minister says it’s time to get rid of U.N. sanctions
Posted: 11:20 PM ET
From Jill Dougherty
CNN State Department Correspondent

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Nearly two decades after the first Gulf war and six years after Saddam Hussein was removed from power, Iraq still is subject to 73 United Nations resolutions.

Now Iraq’s foreign minister says his country “will not regain full sovereignty and independence without getting rid of these resolutions.”

Speaking to reporters in Washington, Hoshyar Zebari said Monday that Iraq has paid “billions” of dollars under Chapter 7 of the U.N. sanctions placed on Iraq as a result of the 1990 Iraq invasion of Kuwait and subsequent war.

The U.N. Security Council is reviewing the sanctions, and Zebari said he had “intensive discussions” in New York with members of the Security Council. He said “I think the outcome is positive.”

“We felt a great deal of good will that, really, time has come for Iraq to get rid of all these restrictions and to regain its international standing and position as a normal country.”

(additional from CNN)(same source @ nenos...charalei?)

From Jill Dougherty
CNN State Department Correspondent

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Nearly two decades after the first Gulf war and six years after Saddam Hussein was removed from power, Iraq still is subject to 73 United Nations resolutions.


A March 1991 photo shows burning oil wells in Kuwait damaged by Iraq military forces.

Now Iraq's foreign minister says his country "will not regain full sovereignty and independence without getting rid of these resolutions."

Speaking to reporters in Washington, Hoshyar Zebari said Monday that Iraq has paid "billions" of dollars under Chapter 7 of the U.N. sanctions placed on Iraq as a result of the 1990 Iraq invasion of Kuwait and subsequent war.

The U.N. Security Council is reviewing the sanctions, and Zebari said he had "intensive discussions" in New York with members of the Security Council. He said "I think the outcome is positive."

"We felt a great deal of good will that, really, time has come for Iraq to get rid of all these restrictions and to regain its international standing and position as a normal country."

The Iraqi foreign minister said bringing Iraq out of Chapter 7 is an "American commitment also" since Iraq signed the status of forces agreement with the United States, which governs the presence of U.S. forces in Iraq, based on its understanding that the U.S. would help Iraq to come out of Chapter 7.

Foreign Minister Zebari said the sanctions impose a heavy burden on Iraq -- it continues to pay 5 percent of its oil revenues to Kuwait, down from the initial 30 percent.

Iraq's security forces, he told reporters, have "proven they are capable of defending themselves and the country." In the next six months, however, he said, the country faces some risks.



"What can be seen as problems could become crises unless this administration keeps its focus and support to push the situation forward; otherwise this overall strategy of responsible redeployment could be undermined."

If that happens, Zebari said, it "will impact what the U.S. is doing in the Middle East, in the Arab peace process, with Iran, even in Afghanistan because Iraq is such a crucial player in the region."